The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1887-09-01
SENSE IN HUMCR.
Speech Of Humorous North Carolina
Farmer at the Atlanta Convention.

One of the most original and prac
.tical speeches delivered during the
Interstate Farmers Convention, was
an of-hand address by Mr.. Reid
Parker, of North Carolina. He said !:
Mr.. Chairman and Gentlemen Of
the Convention hold that the peo-
pie in the main do the best they know
how for themselves. When we see a
man buy fertilizers we conclude that
he knows no better. [ Applause. And
five find that poor farmer has gone
to town and mortgaged his mule and
himself for a spurious article OF COM
mercial fertilizers, we conclude at once
that he thinks it is best for him. He
does not know any better. Applause.
five see a man that plants all cotton,
and is blowing four mules, and with
poor harness, and with sore shoulders d
mules, and with dull implements and
poor land, we knowat glance that that
man does not know any better. IRE
pewed APPLAUSE 1t is the best he
can do for himself. If man in the
morning after taking too many drains
the night before, wakes up with head
ache and kind of crawling about the
Intervals here (laying hand on stomach)
laughter with an increased thirst and
a clammy kind of tongue and tot
tering, nervous condition, the best
thing he thinks he can do for himself
is to have something to steady his
nerves. He does not know any better.
[Applause.]
The only hope of salvation of the
common farmer, not your farmers
who represent the common farmer, the
only hope of salvation Of the common
farmer of these ten states is for them
TO find out what is best for them.
How are they going to do it? Not
by this convention meeting here and
considering cooperation, co-ordina-
ton, stifilization, civilization, concate-
nation, eXhortation eradication, star
walton and damnation. TGreat laugh.
ter and applause We must so tc
work and teach. That is the only
salvation. How is it to be done
There are farmers in North Carolina
who not only let their lights shine il
their own house, out the door, and wa,
down the road, and a man passing
along can see it as a light set upor
u hill.
You will pardon me just little.
won't worry your patience. l have
been at work IN 4 certain direction
for the last fourteen years, and fl
Inl.iillly we got club together; we go
toTeading; We got the best books anC
subscribed for the papers. We hay,
reading room and a circulating
library and they take paper published
in this city that is a credit to tn,
South, and to the world, the Cultivator
We take that as standard, and reaC
what DR.. Jones, of Georgia, says OF
grass, stock and all these fertilizers
and we understand it as we'll as an,
chemist in the country. Wheneve
you so by one of these mems house
you can tell it as quick as you cal
when in train you dash from a tun
mel into daylight. You can see it
What is all the practical good in al
these resolutions, all this tariff Ques
ton and all this political discussion
You want to get TO the individual far
!nerS, not you farmers, for you are tn
leading farmers, Your governors Sc
lected You because you are above thos
around you-but the intention of thi
covention is for you to so home, fir
up, and let your light shine out still
brighter and better and help the com
mon farmer. Applause. He is tn
man of this whole country. kno,
whole counties-I don't know whethe
you have got them in Georgia or not
where they have not got 4 hog that
worth the name of a hog.
l will tell little story about no,
killing time | heard of in Georgi
once. 1t was on a bright, frost
morning, along about the first of Ian
nary on very convivial occasion, an,
they invited IL their neighbors to he'll